Fasteners for connecting two articles include some type of track member secured to one article and some type of receiving member secured to another article for engagement with the track member. Such fasteners, however, typically require that the receiving member be threaded onto a free end of the track member which can be difficult or impossible in some applications.
In order to prevent having to thread the receiving member onto a free end of the track, fasteners have been developed which utilize synthetic materials which adhere when pressed together, such as VELCRO. This type of fastener typically includes two mating strips of desired lengths and enables connection of one strip anywhere along the length of the remaining strip.
In some applications, however, VELCRO type fasteners do not perform very well. This is particularly true when such fasteners are applied to garments, shoes or similar items which are exposed to dirt or sand. The dirt or sand clogs the fibers of a VELCRO type fastener thereby reducing its effectiveness and possibly causing failure during use.
It therefore would be desirable to provide a fastener including an engagement member having a predetermined length and a receiving member for connection anywhere along the length of the engagement member without having to thread the receiving member onto a free end of the engagement member, that enables ready adjustment in at least a first direction, and can be manipulated by a user to provide adjustment in a second opposite direction.